https://bloomerang.co/resources/speaking/ Discuss the theories and best practices of Customer Relations Management and Donor Management with Steven Shattuck of Bloomerang. Bloomerang’s core purpose is to improve donor retention in the nonprofit world. Their mission, educational offerings, and CRM are all tied to the values of Philanthropy, Simplicity, Honesty, and Community.

1. Effective Donor Database Management

2. Chief Engagement Officer, Bloomerang
Co-founder/ED, Launch Cause
Contributor: Fundraising Principles and
Practice: Second Edition
Member: Fundraising Effectiveness Project
(FEP) Project Work Group, AFP Center for
Fundraising Innovation (CFI)
Fun facts:
• 1st job: producing fundraising videos
• prefers tea to coffee
• allergic to rhubarb
• recipient of David Letterman scholarship
About Steven »
@StevenShattuck

3. What is the purpose of a donor database?

4. @StevenShattuck
Donor retention »
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org

5. Retention by gift size »
@StevenShattuck
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org

6. @StevenShattuck

7. Importance of being a chosen charity »
# of charities supported annually by
household income:
• $50K: 2-3
• $100K: 3-4
• +$100K: 4-5
— One is usually their church
— One is usually their school
Source: Philanthropy Panel Study - Lilly School of Philanthropy
@StevenShattuck

8. @StevenShattuck
Why do donors leave?

9. @StevenShattuck
• 2001 study by
Adrian Sargeant
• Survey to lapsed donors of
10 major U.S.-based
nonprofits
• Respondents were asked to
check each reason for
stopping their contributions
Why nonprofit donors leave »
http://www.campbellrinker.com/Managing_donor_defection.pdf

10. @StevenShattuck
• 5% - thought charity did not need them
• 8% - no info on how monies were used
• 9% - no memory of supporting
• 13% - never got thanked for donating
• 16% - death
• 18% - poor service or communication
• 36% - others more deserving
• 54% - could no longer afford
Why nonprofit donors leave »
http://www.campbellrinker.com/Managing_donor_defection.pdf

11. @StevenShattuck
Why do donors stay?

12. @StevenShattuck
• 2011 study
• Survey of 1,200 recent (last 12 months), frequent (more
than 2 gifts to cause based charities) donors from over
250 nonprofit organizations
• Donors were given a list of 32 reasons why they might
continue giving
• Asked to rank them by order of importance
Key drivers of donor commitment »
http://www.thedonorvoice.com/national-donor-commitment-study-and-proof-of-link-between-donor-attitudes-and-behavior/

13. @StevenShattuck
1. Donor perceives organization produces outcomes
2. Donor knows what to expect with each interaction
3. Donor receives a timely thank you
4. Donor receives opportunities to make views known
5. Donor feels like they’re part of an important cause
6. Donor feels his or her involvement is appreciated
7. Donor receives info showing who is being helped
Key drivers of donor commitment »

14. @StevenShattuck
X

15. Stop putting donors in one big bucket!

16. @StevenShattuck
Donor database essentials »
• Create data segments
• Maintain clean, up-to-date data
• Document communications plans
• Foster staff/user redundancy
• Track engagement signals
• Be aware of donor-advised funds
• Optimize any automated follow-up

17. @StevenShattuck
What are data segments? »
• Constituent lists based on:
• recency (how long since their last gift?)
• frequency (how many times have they given?)
• gift channel (how did they give?)
• gift amount (how much did they give?)
• why they gave (ask them!)
• capacity (prospect research/wealth screening!)
• geography (for orgs with regional/national reach)

18. Sample segment »
@StevenShattuck
Above average gift amount
At or below average gift amount

19. Differentiate the acknowledgement »
@StevenShattuck
Above average gift amount
At or below average gift amount
Letter # 1
Phone call
(tour invite)
Letter #2
Handwritten note
Email/Letter #4
(Volunteer request)
Email/Letter #3
(survey)
(monthly upgrade)

20. Differentiate the appeal »
@StevenShattuck
Above average gift amount
At or below average gift amount
Ask #1
Ask #2
Ask #3
Ask #4

21. Segments by acquisition channel »
@StevenShattuck
Website Direct Mail Event

22. 2 common “one and dones” »
@StevenShattuck

23. • Memorial donors
• Thank (if you can), then isolate
• Peer-to-peer donors
• Have first gift acknowledgement come from
fundraiser, not benefiting org
• (Re)introduce the charity
• Explain why fundraiser supports it
• Ask for donor to continue support
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/3-tips-for-improving-p2p-donor-retention/
2 common “one and dones” »

24. • Isolate donors who haven’t given in 2+ years
• Remove from direct mail sends
• Send a lapsed donor survey
• Invest in data services:
• NCOA (they moved)
• Deceased Suppression Processing
(they died)
Lapsed donors »
@StevenShattuck

25. Documented communications plans

26. @StevenShattuck

27. @StevenShattuck

28. @StevenShattuck

29. Be aware of all inbound interactions

30. Engagement signals »
@StevenShattuck
• Upgrade /
Downgrade + -
• Event attendance +
• Opens email +
• Clicks emails +
• Unsubscribes
from email -
• Volunteers +
• Fundraises for you +
• Changes
communication
preferences +
• Changes contact info +
• Changes payment
method +
• Has soft credits +
• Has inbound
interactions + (calls
you, emails you)

31. Watch out for donor-advised funds »
@StevenShattuck
• Did you get a sudden donation from:
• a foundation you don’t have a relationship with?
• a financial institution (EdwardJones, etc.)
This may be a donor-advised fund contribution from
a loyal, high-capacity donor!

32. If your donor database
also handles online giving…

33. @StevenShattuck

34. @StevenShattuck

35. @StevenShattuck

36. @StevenShattuck

37. • Should arrive immediately
• Eye-catching subject line
• Avoid role-based sender email address
• Personal greeting
• Thank the donor
• Communicate impact (text/photo/video)
• Give donor something to do next
• Social sharing
• Employer matching
• Survey
• Preview future communications
• Include tax information
Email confirmation »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/19-point-donation-acknowledgement-email-checklist

38. Set your staff up for success

39. • Create SOP (standard operating procedure)
for data entry
• Give fundraisers access so that they can
enter notes from phone calls/in-person
visits immediately
• Train multiple employees on how to use the
database
• Invest in a real database!
Internal efficienies »
@StevenShattuck

40. https://bloomerang.co/resources
•Nonprofit Wrap-Up
•Bloomerang TV
•Bloomies
•Daily blog post
•Weekly webinars
•Downloadables

41. Questions?
steven.shattuck@bloomerang.co
@StevenShattuck
Free eBooks »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/resources/guides/